


You Look So Good In Love

by Peetabreadgirl



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-06
Updated: 2015-03-06
Packaged: 2018-03-16 12:48:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3488834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peetabreadgirl/pseuds/Peetabreadgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gale returns to District Twelve in hopes of finding that Katniss has forgiven him for his part in the war, and they can move forward with a relationship. Will he realize Katniss and Peeta belong together? Or will he continue to vie for Katniss' affections? DON'T BE SCARED! This is complete Everlark through they eyes of Gale. Weird? Find out...</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Look So Good In Love

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea after listening to a King George song one day. If you know George, then you'll recognize the title. It took me a week to put it together, but here it is - my take on Gale realizing Everlark is the shiznit. Okay, well, he doesn't go crazy for Everlark like we all do. He's obviously sane with no estrogen, but this is my version of how he comes to realize he has to let Katniss go.
> 
> And thanks so much to some super sweet, encouraging gals that don't let me make one slip up in writing, and you should thank them, too, because they make it much better for y'all to read. That's right, I said "y'all". Bubblegum1425 and ct522 are amazing and I have no idea why they did it, but I'm so glad they let me in! My writing nights are much more fun because of them! And as always, thanks to inmyfavor, who reads my stuff and gives me feedback and ideas. They will be working hard when I start my next two fic's. I'm super excited about them...
> 
> Now to the story. All hail Everlark!

`        

  
  


Gale stepped off the train onto the platform. It had been a long time since he’d been back to District Twelve - fourteen months to be exact. He tried to tell himself the only reason he was here was to see how the rebuilding of his former home town was going. Gale had heard that many good things were happening in his old district, and he just had to see it for himself. Of course, the nagging thought that he tried pushing to the back of his mind was the fact he might see _her_. Katniss.

 

It had been a year since Prim’s death, a death for which he was partially to blame, or so Katniss believed. Had Gale known that the bombs he was building with Beetee would be used to target innocent children, he never would have had a hand in it. Had he known Katniss’ younger sister would die because of it, Gale would have tried to halt the attack altogether, or at least direct its course to the more deserving Capitol residents. He knew he would seek Katniss out to say hello, so Gale hoped he had given her enough time to grieve the loss of Prim, and try to begin to forgive him. It seemed, to him, a lot to hope for.

 

It was a brisk, fall day in District Twelve. Gale hugged his jacket tighter to his body as he stepped down off the platform and headed toward the main square. He wasn’t sure exactly what he was expecting from the new construction, but he loved his old district and hoped everyone left alive was able to move on and build a better life despite the massive losses from the war.

Everyone lost something, if not everything.

 

Gale may have saved his family and moved them to a new district, where they would have infinite opportunities for their future, but he couldn’t forget Katniss Everdeen. He had tried a few times with other women. Beautiful women. There was no shortage of the opposite sex that wanted to get to know him better. There was even one relationship that had gotten serious, but ultimately he just couldn’t pull the trigger without knowing where Katniss stood. However, he knew she might not want anything to do with him again.

 

She was his best friend. The only person outside of work and his family that he had spent time with. They were from the same background, had the same hurts and losses, shared the same responsibilities for their siblings. They were cut from the same cloth. They were supposed to end up together, or so he had imagined. That was all before the reaping of the 74th Hunger Games - the same games Gale despised and worked so hard to put a stop to. But in the end, even though the Games didn’t take her life, Gale still lost her because of them.

 

Now he was back and more anxious than ever to find out if there was any hope at all for a future with Katniss. As he neared the newly rebuilt square there was only one thought on his mind. _I hope it’s not too late._

 

* * *

 

When Gale entered the square, he couldn’t believe the vision that met his eyes. It was the same square, the same shops and layout, but new. New and bright and _happy_. There was definitely something promising in the air. People were bustling around, going about their daily tasks with a smile with not the slightest hint of fear in their countenance. The sight of it chipped another piece off the hard block he’d been carrying around since the war ended. Of course, he knew it would all be worth it in the long run, but everytime he was able to witness the people of Panem patching up their broken lives, the block became a little lighter and easier to bear.

 

Gale stopped in the middle of the square to take it all in, brick by brick. A sense of pride and gratefulness overwhelmed him as he remembered he was part of this. He helped to free these people and give them a chance at something new and different.

 

“Gale!” A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned to see Thom making his way toward him, a huge grin on his face. “This is a nice surprise. I definitely wasn’t expecting to see you here.” Gale stuck his hand out to clasp the one Thom had offered on his approach.

 

“Hey, man. How are you?” Thom pulled Gale in for a quick embrace and then stepped back to take him in. “You cleaned up nice in Two,” Thom said, noting Gale’s stylish attire.

 

“Thanks, Thom,” Gale replied, a blush coloring his cheeks as he noticed Thom’s dirty and slightly torn work clothes. He felt a little foolish showing up in his home town wearing something that made him seem out of place. Maybe he should have thought this out a bit more. Thom seemed genuinely happy for him, but he knew others, or rather _one other_ , may not see it that way.

 

“The place looks real good. You’ve been working hard,” Gale quickly tried to change the subject to something besides the way he looked.

 

“Yeah, thanks. We’re working on the new cobbler’s store, and then we’ll finish the square off with the tanner’s shop. Just finished up Mellark’s Bakery last week.” Thom pointed in the direction of the shops as he mentioned them, ending at the bakery. It was all too familiar to him. It was the place where he and Katniss had traded squirrels to Mr. Mellark for any bread he would give them to feed their starving families. Mr. Mellark was always overly generous with his trades. The thought made Gale actually miss the man.

 

He could see Peeta through the large front windows, wearing an apron and kneading something behind the counter, his wavy, blond hair disheveled and hanging down in his eyes. He looked a little older, a little worn, probably like Gale did himself. War will do that to a person.

 

Thom kept on talking, oblivious to Gale’s thoughts. “Peeta’s been baking us bread every day since he got back to Twelve. I never thought I’d get to taste Mellark bread again after they bombed us, but we’ve been well fed.” The mention of the bombing made Gale cringe inside, but he listened as Thom rattled off all the plans for the rest of the district.

 

After about twenty minutes Gale excused himself, after telling Thom they needed to meet up for lunch and he would like to be shown around the new Twelve. But he was tired from the day’s travel and needed to wash up and find some dinner.

 

As he rounded the corner across from the bakery towards Victor’s Village, where he would be staying for a few nights, it only became more obvious just how different Twelve had become. They can rebuild the same buildings and shops and homes, but the landscape can’t be replaced. The trees, the grasses, the hills, the lanes had all been destroyed. It looked bare and a little desolate compared to the activity going on in town. There was one tree in particular he noticed the absence of.

 

Gale’s mind flashed back to a day he had been cleaning up from the mines. Everyone had been required to view the Hunger Games on television. He distinctly heard Katniss’ voice in his head, recounting a story to Peeta in the cave about the time he had thrown her bread and saved her and her family’s lives.

 

A kiss had preceded the story. A kiss that gave rise to all sorts of raging demons that roiled with jealousy inside him. At the time he thought Peeta would surely die, and he would never have to contend with him again. _But, dammit, Katniss had to go and save him and now he’s across the square in his new bakery_. Gale knew he shouldn’t begrudge Peeta his life. He had been through far worse terror than Gale, but it still didn’t sit right with him that Peeta had shared more kisses with Katniss than himself.

 

He constantly tried to remind himself that it was just for show. None of it was real. He still had a chance. But there was a large part of him that wanted to prepare for the worst. That their relationship was, in fact, real. He would never know until he found out for himself.

 

As he walked to one of the abandoned homes in Victor’s Village, Gale glanced over at Katniss’ home. It was now early evening and he could tell by the smoke ascending from the chimney that she was there, and he finally allowed himself to acknowledge why he was really back in Twelve. For _her._

 

* * *

 

After a hot shower, Gale dressed in his District Two clothes - nice khaki’s and a light blue button down shirt. It was a far cry from what Katniss would surely be wearing, and part of him knew she would reject it. But, the other part of him wanted to show her what he had made of himself since the war. No more dirty finger nails and greasy hair, torn and grubby clothing, holes in his shoes with no socks to speak of. _She could accept me this way_ , he thought.

 

He pulled the door of his borrowed mansion closed behind him and headed across the lawn to a similar home at the end of the little village. Gale could see light coming from the downstairs windows now, as darkness had officially fallen. He stood in front of her home, apprehensive about finally taking this step. He’d thought about it for so long. It made him nervous to think it could all end in the next sixty seconds if she chose to shut the door in his face. But it could also be the beginning, and that was the thought Gale allowed residence in his mind as he ascended the two porch steps to the front door.

 

With his fist raised, ready to knock on the door, he froze as he heard Katniss’ voice through the open kitchen window.  “Thank you for dinner. It was amazing, as always.”

 

“Anytime. I love cooking for you,” a male voice replied. Gale couldn’t see who the man was that was in Katniss’ kitchen, but he didn’t need to. The voice was recognizable enough. Peeta Mellark was in her house. He had made her dinner.

 

Instantly, he turned and stepped off the porch, careful not to draw attention to himself. He needed to think a little more about his approach now that she wasn’t alone. He’d been sure there wasn’t anything between them. There couldn’t be anything between them, could there? He didn’t think there was anything between them. The last time he’d seen them, Peeta had been trying not to kill Katniss, and Katniss wasn’t even sure who Peeta had become. Gale was positive of one thing, though, he didn’t want to declare his long time feelings for Katniss in front of Peeta.

 

He turned his head back to the kitchen window as he was passing by, noticing Katniss at the sink, washing the dinner dishes. She was scrubbing intently, scowling at whatever dried food was making her work hard to remove it. He smiled at the sight of her down-turned lips. It was something he remembered well and eventually came to love about her.

 

It was no secret that Katniss Everdeen was a difficult person to deal with, but she was also uncommonly beautiful. Most of her appeal coming from the fact that she had no idea how attractive she was. Her shiny, dark hair was in the same braid he always remembered, and what he could see of her slender frame, thanks to a fitted tank top she had on, had filled out since the war. She wasn’t a scrawny, starving girl anymore. She was a young woman. Gale couldn’t help but notice her breasts, which had been absent that last time they had seen each other. They weren’t large by any means, but they were certainly perky. The women Gale had been with were usually more well-endowed than Katniss, but none of them could hold a candle to the fierce girl of his youth. Gale knew beauty would fade eventually, and he wanted to be with someone that had more than just a pretty face and curves.

 

Gale’s stomach knotted up when Peeta came into view in the window, joining Katniss at the sink. Gale frowned as Peeta wrapped his arms around Katniss’ waist from behind and propped his chin on her shoulder. Katniss jumped in surprise, but Gale saw a smile creep onto her face, hidden from Peeta.

 

“Can I help you with those?” Peeta asked her.

 

“Peeta, what are you doing?” Katniss’ smile betrayed the irritated tone in her voice. She continued to scrub at the dishes, seeming not to notice that Peeta was practically attached to her back. _Push him away, Kat._ Gale’s jealousy flared and his hands clenched into fists. _Come on, don’t just stand there! Do something!_

 

“Nothing. Just offering to help.” Katniss giggled as Peeta began to place kiss after kiss across her neck, beginning at one shoulder and ending at the other.

 

“Stop it!” Katniss lightly brushed him off, giving her shoulders a little shake. “I’ll never finish if you don’t quit that.”

 

Peeta backed up a little, removing his arms from her waist and raised them in surrender. “Okay, okay, I’ll back off.” _Good._ Gale released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Peeta was grinning at her from behind her back, but Gale could tell he was reluctant to move away.

 

This was definitely not the night he would be reuniting with Katniss. The fact that Peeta was in her house and touching her in a more than friendly way told Gale he was going to need to rethink his plan. It was obvious to him now that there was something between them, but he refused give up. He was just going to have to try harder than he had prepared for.

 

* * *

 

Gale awoke at daybreak the next morning with a stiff neck and pain in his lower back. He hadn’t been able to get the interaction between Katniss and Peeta off his mind, so he’d stayed in a chair near the window, in one of the bedrooms that faced Katniss’ house, with the hope of seeing Peeta leave. But the exhaustion from the day must have been too much for his body to take and he had fallen asleep quickly.

 

He couldn’t recall seeing Peeta’s departure, but he tried to reassure himself that he had indeed gone home. _Katniss would never let him stay overnight._ He had to believe this logic or he knew he might go mad wondering what may have happened.

 

To keep himself from over-thinking, he showered, dressed and went to the kitchen to make coffee. He decided after an hour of staring across the Village at Katniss’ house, that she probably had risen well before him and went out into the woods to hunt. He’d had the thought to meet her at their old hunting spot, but Katniss wasn’t really one for surprises. The upside was Gale knew Peeta wouldn’t be there with her, bakers usually had to be at work earlier than Katniss would be out hunting.

 

Gale left the village to find Thom and take him up on his offer to show him around the newest parts of his old district. He and Thom spent most of the morning checking out the new structures and discussing the next steps of the rebuild. Gale was really impressed at what had been done since the decision to rebuild Twelve was made. From time to time, they ended up chatting with residents, old and new, they passed on the streets. Gale had known most of them from growing up here, and he was happy to get to hear the stories of how they came back to their home district.

 

They found themselves in front of the only restaurant in town, just in time for lunch. Once inside, Thom spotted a neighbor and went to say hello. As Gale took his seat, he absently glanced out the store’s windows and spied Katniss rounding the corner into the square. He could see her features easily from where he sat. She looked radiant with flushed cheeks from being outdoors, and tendrils of hair that had escaped from her braid were bouncing softly around her face. Her lips were turned up slightly into a happy grin. He noticed this last trait more than the others because it was so unlike her. He found it greatly improved her countenance, and he wondered what had happened to put that look on her face. Gale certainly had never been the one to do it.

 

She had three squirrels roped to her belt by their tails, no doubt from her morning hunt, and in her arms was a small, wild pig. In all the years they had hunted together, they hadn’t come across many pigs. Squirrels and rabbits were most common, but swine were few and far between. It was a modest prize, so he decided that must be what had put the grin on her face.

 

His eyes followed her, taking in the sway of her hips with each step, and the heaving of her chest with each breath. He felt the need to look away when he discerned the direction of her stride was toward Mellark’s Bakery. He eyeballed the menu before peeking back in the bakery’s direction in time to catch her slip inside the door. He couldn’t see anything after that, as a result of the glare of the sun on the windows. _She’s probably just trading meat for bread again. Old habits die hard,_ he thought, trying to settle his unease at twice seeing her interact with Peeta.

 

Gale’s mind flashed back to Tigris’ basement, right before the end of their last battle in the Capitol, when he had told Peeta that Katniss would choose whomever she couldn’t live without. _Was she not able to live without Peeta?_ Gale shook his head to clear out the irksome thoughts. He instead tried to focus on Thom, who had joined him at the table.

 

They ordered the house favorite, squirrel stew with thick chunks of potatoes and carrots, and made polite conversation. Trips down memory lane were still sore and parts of it might never fully heal, so they avoided speaking of the past. They chose instead to center the conversation on the future. Except, Gale didn’t really know what his future held. He only knew what he wanted it to hold.

 

* * *

 

Gale and Thom parted ways after lunch. Thom needed to get back to work and Gale needed to finally find Katniss. He could see through the bakery windows now. Peeta was hard at work, and Katniss was nowhere in sight so Gale realized she must have gone out the back entrance. _Good. I know just where to find her,_ he thought.

 

The walk back to the Village felt short and long at the same time. He couldn’t wait to be standing in front of her at last but knowing she could crush his hopes with one look was daunting.

 

 _Be ready to love me. Be ready to love me..._ He chanted those words as he took the last few steps it required to reach her door. Before he could think too much he rapped three times and held his breath. There was nothing. No answer, no footsteps, no “Coming!” being called from inside. Gale tested the doorknob and found it to be unlocked. The door swung open slightly with a groan, and he called out into the hallway.

 

“Anyone home? Katniss?” Gale was met again with silence. He pushed the door open and stepped inside, looking for signs of occupation. He glanced into the living room, then quietly made his way into the kitchen. He felt awkward roaming around in her house without an invitation, but he wanted to be sure nothing was amiss.

 

He looked up as he heard a door close and a steady thudding across the upstairs floor. Footsteps. They walked the length of the house and sounded like they were coming down the steps. Gale’s stomach seized up with nerves when he knew he was about to be face to face with Katniss Everdeen for the first time in over a year. _Be ready to love me,_ he silently repeated his mantra from earlier to fortify his courage.

 

Gale took a few steps toward the kitchen entrance and out into the hallway, turning to face the stairs just as Katniss landed on the last one.

 

“Hey, Ka-,” Gale was interrupted by an ear piercing scream as Katniss, with her hands balled up into fists, backed up a few steps in anticipation of an attack.

 

“Gale? What the hell!” Katniss was dressed in her bathrobe, wet hair loose and wavy, hanging down her back. She was clutching her chest as if her heart were about to leap out of it, or, possibly to keep her robe from gaping open.

 

“What are you doing here?” Katniss asked, her voicel high and demanding. Gale didn’t think this was going quite the way he had wanted it to.

 

“I came back to see what’s new in Twelve, and thought I’d come say hi,” he tried to sound casual, even though his heart was pounding at the sight of Katniss in such an unclothed state. Gale had imagined what Katniss looked like naked many times. Being so close to her and not being allowed to look at or touch her was not part of those fantasies. He took a deep breath and tried with all his might not to allow his eyes to roam away from her face.

 

“Well, you should have called. I could have been better prepared and not walking around na...like this when you got here.” Katniss seemed less irritated, but still not fully composed.

 

“I’m sorry. You’re right, I should have called, but I didn’t want to hear you to tell me not to come.” Gale felt a little relief at being able to be honest with her. The look she was giving him, though, told him she might have preferred him to stay in Two.

 

“You look good, Catnip.” Gale could tell using his childhood pet name for his friend brought her back to a different time. A flash of familiarity in her eyes came first, quickly followed by pain. Those times were no more. Gale was going to have to figure out where he could go from here to forge something new between them. Something he could give her that she would want to hold on to.

 

_Be ready to love me._

 

“Thank you?” Katniss’ reply came out as more of a question as she looked down to take in her appearance. “I should change-” She started to turn and make her way back upstairs, but Gale stopped her.

 

“Can an old friend get a hug first?”

 

Katniss slowly turned back around, and Gale could tell she was struggling because of her state of dress.

 

“I’m not going to maul you, Katniss,” Gale assured her.

 

“I wasn’t thinking that,” she replied swiftly. Katniss tromped down the remaining steps and walked over into Gale’s waiting embrace. She wrapped her arms around his waist, while his hugged her shoulders, pulling her close to him.

 

“I’ve missed you. I’ve missed us, Katniss.” Gale took a deep breath, inhaling the mixture of vanilla and sandalwood from her freshly washed hair. Before Katniss could answer him, she heard a second male voice coming from the doorway.

 

“What’s going on?” Katniss snapped her head around at the sound of Peeta’s words. He was standing just inside the doorway that had been left open upon Gale’s entrance, holding a Mellark’s Bakery box under one arm. She promptly dropped her arms from Gale’s body and stepped slightly away from him.

 

“Look who dropped in to see us,” Katniss stated, rather nervously.

 

“I see that. How nice of Gale to arrive unannounced in our home while you’re wearing nothing.” The irritation in Peeta’s voice was unmistakable. Still, Peeta being Peeta, he walked over to Gale and offered his hand.  “Gale, how have you been?”

 

Katniss glanced from Gale to Peeta, then back to Gale, clearly hoping the two would be cordial to each other. She didn’t have to worry much about Peeta, but Gale had more of a temper.

 

“I’ve been doing alright,” Gale finally replied, taking Peeta’s hand in a tighter grip than was necessary. After they released their hold, Peeta led the way into the kitchen and laid the box down on the dining table.

 

“Come in, have a seat. Can I get you anything?” Peeta offered with a tired sigh.

 

“I wouldn’t mind some tea;” Gale answered, gruffly. Even he could admit, albeit rather grudgingly, that Peeta’s hospitality during this awkward situation was impressive.

 

“Katniss, why don’t you go put something else on?” Peeta instructed her in a calm and sweet, but possessive manner. She turned to leave the room without hesitation, and Gale wondered what kind of hold Peeta had over her to get her to do what he asked without complaint. Where had that fire gone that Gale had wrestled with so many times? He became uneasy at the realization that Katniss was so different now. _Has he brainwashed her? Drugged her?_ There were many Capitol medicines that were still available that could alter people’s minds and wills. _Had Peeta somehow managed to bring some home and use them on her?_ He didn’t understand it, nor was this the place or person to ask, so he decided to stick to basic, non-confrontational questions.

 

“I saw the new bakery. It’s nice. How do you like being back there?”

 

Peeta answered without turning around from his task of making Gale tea. “I like it. It helps me relax and puts some purpose back into my life. And it reminds me of my family. I feel close to them when I’m there.”

 

Gale didn’t know quite how to respond to that last statement, so he remained silent while Peeta poured boiling water into three mugs and added a tea bag to each one. He turned around and handed Gale one of them while setting the other two next to himself. He took a seat opposite Gale and asked a loaded question.

 

“So what brings you to our home?” His stare was not icy cold, but it was definitely penetrating, and there was no mistaking Peeta’s words. “Our home”. Gale knew coming back here, he would have to contend with Katniss and her feelings about what happened in their pasts, but he was now understanding where the battle may really lie - with Peeta.

 

“I’ve been hearing about the rebuild here in Twelve and wanted to come see it for myself.”

 

“What do you think so far?” Peeta asked, in between sips of tea. At that moment, Katniss appeared in the kitchen, making her way to a seat at the end of the table, between Gale and Peeta. Peeta handed her the third mug of tea, and she nursed it quietly as Gale spoke.

 

“It looks great. It’s more than I’d ever hoped Twelve would become.”

 

“Are you thinking of moving back?” Katniss asked, never one for being subtle.

 

“No. My home is in Two now,” Gale said.

 

Gale sensed some extra tension from across the table at his answer. They must have realized that if he wasn’t interested in moving back to Twelve, then checking up on the district surely wasn’t the only reason he had for traveling this far. Gale thought Peeta’s jaw seemed to harden as he stared at his tea.

 

“So,” Gale directed his question to Katniss, “how have you been since coming back here?”

 

Katniss took another sip of the now-warm tea, a contemplative look on her face. “It has its ups and downs, but there’s no place I’d rather be. Twelve is home.”

 

Her words struck Gale like a blow. Twelve is home. Just like Two was now home for him. Gale allowed the words to roll around in his head along with thoughts of how different he and Katniss might be. He had always thought they were so similar, and that was why the should be together.

 

The rest of their conversation was forced, but pleasant. Peeta seemed to relax more the longer they spoke, and Gale noticed Katniss slightly gravitate in Peeta’s direction throughout their discussion.

 

There was no denying they were closer than Gale wanted to accept, and they were obviously holding back some affection in his presence. Gale’s heart began to sink as he remembered the few scenes he had witnessed since his arrival here. Yesterday’s encounter through the window, watching Peeta’s advances on Katniss go unadmonished. The happiness on her face as she trekked to the bakery this afternoon. Peeta and Katniss’ words of confirmation about where their home was, together in Twelve. And now, as he watched the easy way they interacted with each other, it seemed like they were one, together, conversing with him as one, single.

 

Gale finally allowed himself to see the source of Katniss’ happiness. She had chosen Peeta. He was the one she couldn’t live without.  Katniss would never love him like she loved Peeta. He couldn’t refute how good love looked on her. It was evident in the way her eyes brightened when Peeta came around, and the way her lips twitched upward into a smile when she met Peeta’s gaze.  He could see it in the way her body reacted to him, her hand gravitating toward his, and the way she licked her lips in remembrance or anticipation, of what Gale didn’t know. But those signs made it easy to see she wanted Peeta. Gale wished he could have made her look that way.

 

His gut constricted at the realization, and Gale knew his days in his home district were over. It was time to go back to Two and try to forget about Katniss. He pushed his chair back and stood up suddenly, announcing his departure.

 

“I better get going. I’ve trespassed on your time long enough.” Peeta and Katniss stood along with him, surprised expressions on their faces.

 

“Wait,” Katniss responded, striding past Gale and taking the stairs two at a time. She returned a  moment later with an envelope. She clutched it in her hand, seemingly apprehensive about letting it go.

 

“I wrote you,” she said. “Dr. Aurelius said it would help to write things down that I can’t say out loud. I never intended to send it, but I think seeing you now… I think it’s time to let this go. I don’t know if we’ll ever see each other again,” she admitted, stretching out her arm to offer the letter to him.

 

Oh, how it stung his heart to hear those words. _We may never see each other again._ He accepted the letter, knowing it would be a while before he could bring himself to read it.

 

“Whatever he’s doing, it looks good on you,” Gale conceded, nodding in Peeta’s direction. It was time to acknowledge it, say it out loud so the wound could be torn open and let the healing process begin. Katniss smiled at his comment, and a blush stole over her cheeks. Gale laid the letter on a table close to him and stepped forward with his arms open.

 

“Can a friend get a goodbye hug?” He glanced at Peeta, who seemed to be unaffected by the gesture. Katniss made her own decision as she stepped up to meet him, embracing him tightly, as if it were really the last time. Gale looked over Katniss’ head at Peeta, expecting to see jealousy in his eyes. But, instead his were met with compassion, the compassion of a man who almost lost what Gale himself had lost.

 

At that moment something passed between the two of them. An understanding where Katniss belonged, and Gale knew Peeta would take care of her. Gale nodded his head once in Peeta’s direction, a silent offering of concession. Peeta nodded back, a silent offering of acceptance.

 

When Katniss released him, Gale looked down into her grey eyes and saw they were watery. A lone tear escaped and traveled a lonely path down her cheek. He rubbed her arms up and down in a comforting gesture and gave her a knowing grin. This _was_ goodbye. He could feel it.

 

Peeta came up to put his arm around Katniss’ shoulders, knowing this was hard for her. Katniss stepped back into him, allowing Peeta to hold her with one arm, while he clasped Gale’s hand in a parting gesture.

 

“Safe travels, Gale,” Peeta said. “Maybe we’ll see you again.” Even though Peeta’s words seemed genuine, Gale couldn’t help the feeling that seeing him again was the last thing Peeta Mellark wanted to do.

 

“Maybe,” was Gale’s half-hearted reply. He couldn’t put much stock in seeing them again anytime soon. He would need to put a good bit of time between this memory and the next one.

 

Gale turned to open the door, and upon stepping out onto the porch, he turned his head for one last look. “Bye, Catnip.”

 

“Goodbye, Gale,” Katniss replied, as she slowly clicked the door into place.

 

He had walked halfway to his borrowed home when he remembered he left the letter laying on the table in the front hall. He turned abruptly, wanting to retrieve most likely the last words Katniss would ever say to him. As he approached the porch he could hear them talking through the kitchen window they obviously never closed.

 

“Are you okay?” Gale heard Peeta ask.

 

“I will be,” was her reply.

 

“I love you, Katniss. Will you let me love you?” Peeta’s response to her distress was something that Gale had to consider. And it suddenly dawned on him why Katniss had chosen Peeta, when Gale remembered his thoughts from earlier - _be ready to love me._

 

Peeta had never waited for Katniss to love him. He simply loved her first. It was evident in Peeta’s actions and words, in every detail of his life. Gale thought he’d had a chance, but now he realized he’d lost the battle years ago, when a five year old boy decided to love a five year old girl, no matter if she ever returned those feelings or not.

 

“Yes, Peeta. I’ll allow it,” were the last words he heard, followed by a gasp and the heavy thump of one set of footsteps retreating upstairs. Gale moved to the window to see if anyone remained on the first floor. He saw the retreating form of Peeta, with Katniss tucked safe in his arms, making his way up to what Gale assumed was _their_ bedroom.. He quietly turned the knob they had forgotten to lock and reached in to grab the letter off the table. Once he slipped the door back in its place, he said a silent goodbye to his childhood best friend, and the love of _his_ life, even though he was obviously not the love of _hers._

 

* * *

 

The next morning couldn’t come fast enough. Gale was packed by midnight and fell asleep on the couch downstairs, waiting for the first rays of daylight to let him know it was time to make his way to the train station.

 

As he stood on the platform, he turned to face the direction of the town. The early morning sky was a mix of brilliant hues ranging from oranges to purples, and the color falling from the trees was breathtaking. It was a new day. The pain of yesterday was still present, but the fact he was about to leave it all behind seemed to lessen it a tiny bit. It gave him a closure of sorts.

 

Gale wondered if every day would get just a little easier. He thought if it did he might be able to get through, even find happiness himself one day. He’d never had his heart broken before and hadn’t known what to expect. It hurt like hell so far.

 

He had to admit he wanted what Katniss and Peeta had, and the only way to get it was to move on. His first step was doing exactly what this day called for...getting on a train back to the life he had made for himself, with the people he knew loved him no matter what.

 

Gale found his seat, fixing his face forward as the train slowly pulled out of District Twelve. There could be no more looking back. The future was directly in front of him.

 

 


End file.
